Biopolymer-Based Multilayer Microparticles for Probiotic Delivery to Colon.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Probiotic viability is crucial for health benefits but is compromised during food storage and gastrointestinal transit.
• Microencapsulation using biopolymers is a key strategy to protect probiotics, but single-layer approaches have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review emerging multilayer encapsulation methods for probiotics using biopolymers.
• To correlate fabrication techniques with microparticle properties and categorize multilayer designs.
• To examine recent biopolymeric formulations and their performance in animal models.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on multilayer microencapsulation of probiotics.
• Analysis of biopolymer properties and fabrication techniques.
• Evaluation of physical and biological properties of multilayer microparticles.

Main Results:

• Multilayer encapsulation significantly improves probiotic resistance to environmental stresses.
• Different layer designs and fabrication methods yield varied microparticle characteristics.
• Promising results observed in animal models for gastrointestinal transit and disease.

Conclusions:

• Multilayer biopolymer encapsulation represents a significant advancement for probiotic delivery.
• Novel materials and fabrication approaches are emerging for enhanced probiotic protection.
• This strategy holds potential for realizing the full health benefits of probiotics.